Coffee maker



Nov. 28, 1939'. R. s. MCNEIL COFFEE MAKER Filed Sept. 29, 1937 I Inventor-z RodericK S. McNeil,

b9 His Attorney Patented Nov. 1939 PATENT OFFICE COFFEE MAKER Roderick S.- McNeil; Bridgeportyconm, asslgnor to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application September 29, 1937, Serial No.'166,313

'1 Claims.

- This invention relates to coflee makers, and it has for its object the provision of an improved device of this character.

More specifically, this invention relates to im- 5 provements in coilee makers of the type described and claimed in the copending application of Otto R. Schurig, Serial No. 156,736, filed July31, 1937 and assigned to the same assignee as this invention. As there disclosed, the Schurig coflee 10 maker comprises a coffee infusion receptacle in which are placed a ground coilee container and-a bell-shaped member below the coffee container. The bell-shaped member is arranged to be moved upwardly in the infusion receptacle by the genera- 16 tion of pressure under the bell so-as to move the ground coffee container up out of the coffee brew after the brew has been made.

My invention contemplates the provision of a coffee maker of this type wherein it is possible to 20 conveniently make either a very small or a large quantity of coffee, as desired. In other words, it is possible in my coffee maker to make as small a quantity of coffee as one or two cups, or any number up to the maximum for which the coffee maker 25 is designed, for example eight cups.

7 ceptacle even,.though, az-relatively smallguantity of water is used.

In addition to this, I have provided suitable 35 latching or locking means which automatically holds the coffee grounds out of the water after the coffee brew has been made and the coffee grounds have been elevated out of the brew by the bell member. 'I'hepbell-operating member m elevates the coffee grounds to different heights when diiierent quantities of coffee are made, and so I have arranged my latching device to automatically lock the coffee grounds in their maximum elevated position in each case. v 1 45 For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which the single figure is a perspective-view of a coffee maker embodying this invention, parts being broken away so as to illus- 50 trate certain details of construction.

Referring to the drawing, this'invention has vbeen shown in one form as applied to a coffee maker having a water infusing or steeping vessel Ill. The vessel I is provided with an upright 55 cylindrical portion Ii,- and a bottom portion 12 Y a frustrum of a cone.

formed as an inverted frustrum of a cone, as clearly shown in the figure. The tapered bottom portion 12 terminates in a bottom wall l3. Preferably and as shown, the wall portions ll, I2 and 13 .will be formed integrally with each other. 6 The integral unit is mounted upon a suitable base M.

At the upper part of the cylindrical portion N there is provided a pouring spout l5 and ,a handle l6 opposite it. This portion is closed at the top 10 by means of a cover l'l having a handle 18.

Inserted through the bottom wall 13 is a suitable heating elernent I! which may have any suitable construction, and which preferably will be of the sheathed type such as described and 15 claimed in the United States patent to C. C. Abbott No. 1,367,341, dated February 1, 19 21. As shown, this unit is roughly in the shape of a hairpin, and it projects up into the conical portion i2.

The heating element is provided with terminals 20- 20 in the base portion I4 and to these terminals are connected a suitable electrical supply cord 2 I. Mounted within the vessel 10 is a bell-shaped member 22 which also is formed in the shape of 7 As shown, this frustrum is somewhat smaller than is the conical section l2 pf the vessel Ill. The bell 22 is closed at the top by a wall 23, and is open at the bottom, as shown. The bottom edge of the-side walls of thebell is provided with a series of notches 24 spaced at so intervals circumferentially as shown. Mounted on and substantially in the center of the top wall "23 of the bell is a vertical rod 25 that extends upwardly through the vessel It and projects through an opening 26 provided for it in the cover II. It also extends through an opening. 21 provided for it in the handle It. The lower section of the rod 25 is round while the upper section preferably will be square, as shown This upper section is provided with a series of vertically spaced notches 2t directed through i the four sides respectively of the square section: more specifically, it is provided with four of these notches 28. These notches range from the top one shown above the lid- II in the drawing to the lower one in the adjacent side shown in the vessel l0. g

A latch 28a is arranged to be received selectively in the notches 28, as will be pointed out in greater detail hereinafter. The latch is biased 6G inwardly into locking. relation with the notches by means of a spring 281).

Also mounted within the vessel III is a coffee container 29 of cylindrical form. This member at the bottom is provided with a mesh or screen bottom wall SI, and in the center with a tubular memberll that rises upwardly from this bottom wall to surround the rod 25. The member 3| is connected to the side walls 29 in any suitable manner as by meansof spokes or a spider (not shown). The container 29 is spaced from the top wall 23 of the bowl by means of a suitable stop 32.

In the operation of my coifee maker, it will be understood that a suitable quantity of water will be placed within the vessel II, the quantity depending upon the amount of coffee brew it is desired to make. After the water has been placed within the vessel ID, the bell 22 will be inserted in the vessel. The bell is provided in its top wall with an opening 88 through which air under the bell is permitted to escape, so that the bell can sink until its bottom edge rests on the bottom wall It of the infusion receptacle. Then the coifee container 28 will be placed in the vessel with the coifee grounds in it, or if desired these grounds may be placed within the vessel 29 after it has been placed within the vessel Ill. The cover II will then be placed on the coffee maker with the latch member opposite the particular side of the square section of the. rod 25 that has the particular notch 28 corresponding. with the quantity of water placed within the vessel H. To facilitate the adjustment of the latch to the sides of the square section, numerals, such as 2, 4, 6, 8, denoting the various numbers of cups that may be made are placed on the square section, as shown. If it is desired tomake two cups, the latch will be placed op osite the side bearing the numeral 2.

When the heater I8 is energized, it will heat the water within the bell 22, and as this water is heated a pressure will develop above the surf ce of the water in the-bell. This pressure will gradually increase and eventually will become sufiicientlygreat to elevate the bell and also the coffee container 28 in the vessel I8. As the bell rises it moves into a zone of relativelycool water above it. This chills the bell and thereby reduces the pressure in the bell; as a result, the bell drops down again. Again the heater 19 generates suflicient pressure to elevate the bell. This cycle of operation is repeated until the water throughout the vessel I8 is substantially uniformly heat: ed, whereupon the pressure generated under the bell will elevate it sumciently high to cause the latch 28a to, pass into the proper notch 28 in he rod 25. This will hold the coffee container 29 with the coflee grounds in it in an elevated position substantially above the level of the coffee brew.

If a larger number of cups is to be made, the fetch will be positioned opposite the surface of the square corresponding to the larger number. In each case, the notch 28 is so located that after the coffee brew has been made, the coffee grounds will be suspended out of the finished coflee brew. The larger the number of cups made the higher will the ground coffee container be suspended, and the lower will be the corresponding notch 28. It will be understood that the conically shaped bottom wall l2 and the similarly shaped bell 22 provide a water head or level sufliciently high to provide for proper functioning of the bell even though a relatively small quantity of water be used.

When the coffee brew has been made, the top wall l1 with the rod 28, the bell 22 and the coffee container 29 all may be removed as a unit from maybeleft 35 will be set to the number of cups made and is provided with numerals 2, 4, 6 and 8 to facilitate the adjustment.

While I have shown a particular embodiment of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made, and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I, claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. A coffee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom' of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation of pressure under it when the water in'the bell is heated, means for heating said water, a coifee container in said receptacle engaged by said bell so as to I the bell is heated to generate pressure under the bell.

2. A coffee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation of pressure under it when the liquid in the bell is heated, the bottom sections-of the infusion receptacle and the bell having inwardly tapering walls as they approach the bottom of the infusion receptacle, a rod extending upwardly from said bell, a coffee container about said rod, latching means for selectively holding said rod at different levels in said container, and means for heating the liquid under said bell.

3. A coffee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the. generation of pressure under it when the liquid in the bell is heated, the bottom sections of the infusion receptacle and the bell having inwardly tapering walls as they approach the bottom of the infusion receptacle, a rod extending upwardly from said bell having at its upper end a square section, the sides of which have notches at different levels, a latch arranged to be selectively positioned opposite said squaresides and arranged to be received in the notches in said sides, a coffee container around said rod so as to be elevated in said receptacle when said bell rises, and means for heating the liquid under said bell.

4. A coffee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bellin the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation of pressure under it when the liquid in the bell is heated, the bottom sections of the infusion receptacle and the bell having inwardly tapering walls asthey approach the bottom of the infusion receptacle, 9. rod extending upwardly from said bell having vunder it when the liquid in the bell is heated, a

at its upper end a pluralityof sections with notches at diil'erent levels corresponding to difterent numbers of cups of coflee, a latch-arranged to be selectively positioned opposite said sections and to be directed into said notches, a coilfee container supported by said bell so as to be elevated in said receptacle when said bell rises, and means for heating the liquid under said bell.

5. A coflee container comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation ofpressure under it when the liquid in the bell is heated, a rod extending upwardly from said bell having at its upper end a square section, the sides of which have notches at diflerent levels, a. latch arranged to be selectively positioned opposite said square sides and arranged to be received in the notches in said sides, a cofiee container supported by said bell so as to be elevated in said ,9 receptacle when said bell rises, and means for heating the liquid under said hell.

6. A coflee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation of pressure rod extending upwardly from said bell having at its upper end a plurality of sections with notches at different levels corresponding to different numbers of cups of coffee, a latch arranged to be selectively positioned opposite said sections and to be directed into said notches, a cofiee container supported .by said bell so as to be elevated in said receptacle when said bell rises, and means for heating the liquid under said bell.

'7. A coffee maker comprising an infusion receptacle, a bell in the bottom of said receptacle movable upwardly by the generation of pressure under it when the liquid in the bell is heated, the bottom sections of the infusion receptacle and the bell having inwardlytapering walls as they approach the bottom of the infusion receptacle, a rod extending upwardly from said bell, a coflee container supported by said bell, latching means for selectively holding said rod at diflerent levels in said container, and means for heating liquid under said bell.

- RODERICK S. MCNEIL. 

